Roasted Delicata Squash Kale Salad

It’s Monday, which for me often means: salad day! This past weekend was full of food, wine, friends, and fun – but I’m definitely a little tired today and ready for a healthy eating reset. Not that this is rabbit food by any stretch – it’s full of roasted vegetables, nutty farro, roasted chickpeas, diced apples, cranberries… basically everything I love about fall in one hearty bowl.

This one starts by roasting delicata squash and red onion wedges (btw, how pretty is this color combination?). To get the most out of my oven’s heat, I roasted chickpeas as well. Roast them until crispy – they add a nice texture and a bit of protein to the salad.

I made this simple tahini sauce with maple syrup and apple cider vinegar. I like to drizzle and toss it with the base of my salad (farro and kale), and then serve the rest on the side (or just before serving) so that it doesn’t all soak in at once. Leftover sauce keeps in the fridge for about one week.

This serves 2 people as a pretty filling meal, or 4 as a side. I’m thinking I’ll double this and serve it for Thanksgiving this year.

5.0 from 27 reviews

Roasted Delicata Squash Kale Salad

PrintAuthor: Jeanine DonofrioServes: serves 2 as a main dish, 4 as a sideIngredients

1 delicata squash, halved lengthwise and seeded, sliced into ½-inch segments
1 small red onion, sliced into wedges
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 whole garlic cloves
½ tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
about 6 leaves of lacinato kale, thinly sliced
1 cup cooked farro* (see note)
1 gala apple, diced
¼ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup pepitas

maple tahini sauce:

¼ cup tahini
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon maple syrup
3 tablespoons warm water, more as needed
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Assemble the delicata squash, red onion and garlic cloves (still in their paper) on one sheet and the chickpeas on the other. Toss with a drizzle of olive oil and several pinches of salt and pepper. Roast until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes.

Make the tahini sauce: In a small bowl, combine the tahini, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, water and pinches of salt and pepper and stir. If the sauce is too thick, stir in more water until it is a drizzable consistency. If it’s too thin, let it sit for several minutes to thicken.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the ½ tablespoon of olive oil, lemon juice and a few pinches of salt and pepper. Peel the roasted garlic cloves and smush the softened garlic into the olive oil mixture. Add the kale and gently massage it until it’s lightly wilted and tender. Stir in the farro and a generous drizzle of the tahini sauce. Add the roasted delicata squash, red onions, chickpeas, apple, cranberries and pepitas. Season to taste and add more dressing, if desired.

Notes*I cook my farro, like pasta, in boiling water until it's tender and chewy but not mushy. The timing really varies - sometimes it's done in 20 minutes, sometimes it takes as long as 40. Drain and set aside to dry before adding to the salad.

Right now, I'm using Artisana Organics' Raw Tahini.

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